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2nd LD Writethru: Indonesian president drops nomination for national police chief

Xinhua, February 18, 2015 Adjust font size:

Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Wednesday dropped nomination of Commissioner General Budi Gunawan as the national police chief and replaced with Commissioner General Badrodin Haiti.

Badrodin Haiti is now the acting national police chief. "As the nomination of Commissioner General Budi Gunawan has sparked public controversy, so, to create stability and comply with the need that the country is led by a definitive police chief, today (Wednesday) I propose a new candidate, Commissioner General Badrodin Haiti, to get the approval from the House of Representatives," President Widodo said at the State Palace.

The president made the decision following the dispute between the country's anti-corruption watchdog KPK which has been at the forefront in combating corruption in the country, and police.

On Jan. 16, the president put Gunawan's nomination on hold after he was declared a suspect of corruption by KPK, fueling the tension between the police and the commission and leading to the arrest of KPK deputy chairman Bambang Widjajanto.

On Feb. 16, an Indonesian court ruled that Gunawan was clean from the corruption after he filed a free-trial motion against the probe undertaken by KPK, removing any legal impediment for him to take the new job.

Regarding to the legal status of Chairman of the KPK Abraham Samad and Bambang Widjajanto, who have been declared as suspects by police on falsifying evidence in cases years ago, the Indonesian president said that they will temporarily quit their jobs. "I will issue a decree on the temporary quitting of the two leaders of the KPK, and then (I will issue) another decree on the appointment of new members of the top positions at the KPK," said Widodo.

Three persons nominated to fill the position in the KPK are Taufiquarraman Ruki, former chairman of the KPK, Indiyanto Seno Adji, a lecturer at the leading Indonesian University and Johan Budi, KPK's deputy chairman for prevention of graft, he said.

The KPK was established in 2003 to combat high-level corruption in the country. Endi